Reel for cloth-measuring machines.



H. G. STEELY.

REEL FOR CLOTH MEASURING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, I914. 1,146,364. Patented July 13, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. G. STEELY.

REEL FOR CLOTH MEASURING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-10, I914.

Patented July 13, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOIJRAPH c0, WASHINGTON, D. c.

' UNITED STA REEL FOR CLOTH-MEASURING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1915.

Original application filed June 11, 1914, Serial No. 844,552. Divided and this application filed September 10, 1914. Serial No. 861,021.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY G. STEELY, a citizen of the United States, residing at l/Vest Liberty, in the county of Logan and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reels for Cloth- Measuring Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a reel for cloth-measuring machines, the present application being a division of an application filed by me June 11, 1914, Serial No. $4 1,552.

The objects of the present invention are to provide means for securing the end of the cloth to be measured, to provide means for folding the cloth as it is measured, and to provide means for permitting the folded cloth to be readily removed.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and is hereinafter fully described, the novel features being subsequently particularly pointed out in the claims following the detailed description.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an end elevation of a cloth-measuring machine embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same with parts broken away and the bolt receptacle removed; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one end of-the reel; Fig. 4 is an end view of the reel; Fig. 5 is a side view of one end of the reel with parts in section.

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals, 1 and 2 designate standards which are erected on the store counter at the front and rear edges of the same, and 3 designates an additional shorter standard at the front side of the counter provided at its upper end with a bearing 4 for the reel. The upper ends of the standards 1 and 2 are connected by a bar 5, the front edge 6 of which forms the stationary member of the cutting mechanism. To the rear sides of the stand ards, as at 7 ,is pivoted a receptacle 8 for the bolt of cloth, indicated at 9, and at the top of the standards is a roller 10 which aids in supporting the cloth as it is drawn from the bolt. A track 11 extends between the standards 1 and 2 below the bar 5 and a housing 12 is mounted to travel on said: track, said housing containing a rotary blade13 which coacts with the stationary cutter 5 to sever the cloth after it has been measured. This housing also hasa projection- 14 which is adapted'torideon and depress a lever 15 and thereby lift from the cloth a roller 16 which actuates a train of gearing 17 and thereby drives a computing mechanism. The frictional engagement of this roller with the clothwill rotate the same and graduations on the face of the roller will indicate, the length of the cloth drawn off while the computing mechanism is arranged to indicate the cost of the measured'cloth.

A hollow shaft 18 is rotatably mounted at one end in-the bearing 4, and within the said shaft is fitted a driving shaft 19 which is provided at its rear end with an angular tapered terminal, as shown at 20. This angular tapered terminal is adapted to engage a correspondingly shaped socket in a stubshaft 21, which is swiveled within a sleeve or bearing 22 formed at'the outer end of a supporting arm 23, and the outer extremity of thisstub-shaft is provided with a crank or other handle 24: whereby it may be manipulated. The supporting arm 23 is pivotally attached to the adjacent'standard 1, as shown at 25, and a spring may be fitted to this pivotal or hinged connection so that the arm will automatically swing away fromthe standard when the latch orretaining device 26 is released. The hollow shaft 18 is provided between its ends with pairs of longitudinal slots 27, and dogs or presser fingers 28 extend through the said slots, said dogs being pivotally attached to the drivingshaft 19, as shown most clearly in Fig. 5. It will be readily understood that if the shaft 19 be moved axially the engagement of the said dogs with the end walls of the slots 27 will cause the'dogs to swing inwardly or outward-1y according to the direction of movement of'the driving shaft. The outer ends of the said dogs bear against the inner edgesof blades 29, which are disposed diametrically opposite each other and constitute the movable arms ofthe cloth folding reel. These blades or arms 29 extend the full width of. the machine and are suitably shaped at one end, as shown at-30, to clear the bearing): asthe reel is rotated. The said-blades or arms are constructed with sockets 31 adapted to receive pins 32 projecting radially from and rigid with the hollow shaft, and springs 33 are coiled around the and the strength of these springs should be sufficient to instantly move the blades inwardly when the driving shaft is shifted longitudinally to permit the dogs 23 to swing inwardly.

It will thus be seen that, if the driving shaft be moved along its own axis, the dogs 28 will be moved inwardly or outwardly and, consequently, the blades or reel arms 29 will be moved toward or away from the shaft so that the reel may be collapsed to permit withdrawal of cloth folded upon the same or extended to support cloth which is being measured. It will also be noted that, if the driving shaft be rotated, the said dogs, by their engagement with the side walls of the slots 27, will impart rotary movement to the hollow shaft and, consequently, the reel may be rotated. The blades 29 are provided near their. outer edges with longitudinal grooves 34, and the end of the cloth to be measured is secured in one of the said grooves by a clamping bar 35, equal in length to the blade and carried by levers 36 which are fulerumed upon lugs 37 upon the blade and are extended past said lugs through the blade, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4. The inner ends of the levers are connected by links 38 with the fixed blades 40, nuts 39 being provided on the links to secure them properly to said blades 40. It will be readily understood that when the blades 29 are moved radially outward the inner ends of the links 38 will be relatively stationary through their connection with the fixed blades 40 and, consequently, the fulcrum lugs 37 will move outwardly, relative to the inner ends of' the angle levers 36, so that the outer ends of said levers will swing to carry the bars 35 into engagement with the grooves 34, and consequently, if the end of a piece of cloth be held over the groove in the uppermost blade 29, the clamping bar 35 will be moved against the said cloth so as to force the same into the groove 34 and thereby securely clamp it to the reel. The blades 40 are secured directly to the hollow shaft 18 in any convenient or preferred manner and preferably disposed at a right angle to the blades 29 and alternate therewith.

It is thought the manner of using my improved machine will be readily understood from the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

The bolt of cloth is placed in the receptacle and the end of the same drawn over the blade 5 and then carried to the reel, as shown in Fig. 1. The free end of the cloth is placed against the. uppermost blade 29, over the groove 34 therein, and the arm 23 then swung into position to engage the end of the driving shaft. The impact of the arm or stub-shaft 21, mounted in the end thereof, with the extremity of the driving Shaft will move the said shaft longitudinally and thereby cause the dogs 28 to swing outwardly, as above described. The blades 29 will be thereby moved radially outward and the clamping bar 35 drawn into engagement with the end of the cloth so as to secure the same in the groove 34, as previously stated. The lever 15 is then manipulated so as to lower the roller 16 onto the cloth and the crank handle 24 then actuated so as to rotate the reel and wind the cloth thereon. As the cloth moves over the bar 5, the roller 16 will be rotated through its frictional engagement with the cloth, and the train of gearing connecting the shaft of said roller with the computing mechanism will be actuated so that said mechanism will be operated. When the desired quantity of cloth has been drawn over the bar 5, the cutter is pushed across the machine. The cloth will be thereby instantly severed with a clean straight out. The free end of the cloth will then be wound upon the reel and the latch 26 released so as to permit the arm 23 to be swung away from the end of the reel, whereupon the blades 29 will be moved radially inward and, consequently, collapse the reel sufficiently to permit the cloth to be easily drawn endwise from the same. It will be understood, of course, that when the blades 29 move inwardly, the clamping bar will be swung out of its engagement with the end of the cloth so that no manual manipulation will be needed to release the end of the cloth from the said blade, and the folded cloth may be easily moved endwise from the reel and, if so desired, the end of the cloth re maining in the bolt may be drawn to and secured upon the reel so that a second sale may be made from the cloth.

It will be noted that my device will fold the cloth as it is drawn from the bolt and measured, so that all possibility of soiling the cloth through contact with any unnoticed dirt or other matter upon the counter will be avoided, and the labor of measuring and subsequently folding the cloth will be avoided.

The attaching of the cloth to the reel and the releasing of the same therefrom will be accomplished automatically as the arm 23 is swung to or from the reel.

The apparatus is set up with the computing mechanism at the front of the counter so that it may be readily observed by the salesman, and the machine will not occupy a great deal of space, so that it will not be unsightly when set up for use.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination of a supporting frame, a reel mounted at one side of the said frame to support the measured cloth passing over the frame and having one end mounted in a fixed support, a movable support for the opposite end of the reel, a clamping bar mounted on the reel, and means whereby when the movable support is engaged with the reel the clamping bar will be actuated to secure the end of the cloth to the reel.

2. The combination of a supporting frame, a reel having a radially movable longitudinal blade, means for moving the said blade radially, a clamping bar arranged to co-act with said blade, and means whereby when the blade is moved radially outward said clamping bar will secure to the side of said blade the end of the cloth passing over the supporting frame.

3. The combination of a supporting frame, a reel adapted to support the cloth drawn over the frame and having a radially movable blade, a clamping bar mounted upon the said blade, means for moving the blade radially, and means for swinging the said clamping bar toward the blade when the blade is moved outwardly tosecure thereto the end of the cloth drawn over the frame.

4. The combination of a supporting frame, a reel to support the cloth drawn over the frame and comprising a driving shaft, a hollow shaft mounted thereon and provided with a longitudinal slot, a dog pivoted to the driving shaft and extending through the said slot, a radially movable blade mounted upon the said hollow shaft and bearing against the outer end of said dog, and means acting upon the said blade in opposition to said dog whereby axial movement of the driving shaft will cause the blade to move radially inwardly or outwardly.

5. The combination of a supporting frame,

a reel to support the cloth drawn over said I the blade and tending to move the same radially outward, and means for actuating the driving shaft.

6. The combination of a supporting frame, a reel to support the cloth drawn over the supporting frame and comprising a driving shaft, a hollow shaft mounted upon the driving shaft and having a longitudinal slot, a dog pivoted to the driving shaft and extending through said slot, a blade bearing upon said dog and provided with sockets, pins projecting from the hollow shaft and into said sockets, springs coiled around said pins within the sockets, a clamping bar extending longitudinally of the blade, an angle lever fulcrumed upon the said blade and carrying said bar, and a link connecting the said angle lever with a. relatively fixed part of the reel.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY G. STEELY. [L.s.] l/Vitnesses:

C. A. HARTZLER, J. THATOI-IER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for, five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

